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CLICK HERE: 5 Resume Writing Strategies For Non-Managers

In today’s highly volatile, competitive job market, it is imperative for non-management professionals to have a winning resume that gets interviews and job offers. In other words, they need to pay close attention to the design and setup of their resume, especially with the majority of positions being support type roles. Also, there is so much competition for every non-management job, your resume will competing with hundreds for every position you apply for, many of which are not looked at more than once. How do you prevail above other applicants in this crazy job market? To help, I have outlined five different strategies to ensure your resume is competitive for non-management positions in which you are seeking.

Strategy #1: The first way to get positive attention is to spend time writing the best cover letter possible. You should write a different letter for every job you apply for and refer back to the specific position. Talk about specific positions you have held that make you perfect for the job. Most of all, make sure that everything is spelled correctly and that you have proofread all grammar. You need to show that you are invested in yourself and take your job search seriously.

Strategy #2: Your resume should be changed for every position you apply to. Job duty descriptions can be altered so that you accentuate the experience that is most applicable to the position advertised. Of course, you do not ever want to lie about your experience, or anything else on your resume. Try not to make job descriptions passive. Instead of just listing your duties, show how they made a difference to the company. If you were instrumental in changing purchasing from a store across town to a website, you can legitimately say that you made purchasing procedures more efficient and cost effective.

Strategy #3: When listing education, it is best not to put the years during which you attended schools. When you do this, the person reading your resume begins to get an idea of how old you are and will start making assumptions based on that. You could be discriminated against for your age and never even know.

Include any seminars or courses you have taken after college that are business related. In addition to adding to your marketability because of the material itself, it also shows that you are invested in yourself and in your career. If you took any courses for your degree that relate directly to the position, you might mention those separately. If there are any other skills you have that add to your desirability as an employee, include these. Many people list a separate section for computer skills as almost every position requires these. You can list all the software you are familiar with as well as how knowledgeable you are in each.

Strategy #4: Volunteer experience can also be included on your resume. This shows that you are well rounded and that you care about other people. A prospective manager may make the leap that you will also be a good team player.

Strategy #5: Keep your resume down to a page in length. You want it to be read, so it needs to be easy to read. Employers want to know what is most important and what you have done in your most recent work history that is relevant to the open position.

If you implement this advice on how to make your resume competitive, getting through the competition will be much easier. Getting to the interview is always the hardest part.